The Unraveling
by Wilshards
Summary: An alternate ending to Season 4. Rita is alive, but things will never be the same.
1. Unforeseen Consequences

**_Disclaimer:_**

_1. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners (Showtime, Jeff Lindsay). The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

_2. All characters, events etc. portrayed in this story are fictional and any resemblance to real persons or events is purely coincidental. Also locations, legal procedures etc. described in this story are not necessarily factually correct neither are they intended to be._

_3. If you see anything that you think is out of place, let me know. The story won't change but there may be minor corrections._

_4. Expect __**major spoilers**__ from the first 4 seasons._

**_Synopsis:_**

_An alternate ending to Season 4. Rita is alive, but things will never be the same._

**And now, on with actual story…**

**3****rd**** of December, 2009  
11:19 PM  
Off The Coast of Miami**

I wonder if Rita's looking at this same moon at this same moment. I like that. Connected by light. The Dark Passenger's been fighting against it, trying to keep me all to himself. But, it's my turn now. To get what I want. To embrace my family. And maybe one day not so long from now, I'll be rid of the Dark Passenger. It all begins with a getaway. Time away from the old me.

With Trinity finally disposed of once and for all, I head home. Nice night. I would get a good night's rest and head for the airport first thing in the morning. Soon, we'll be reunited.

**3****rd**** of December, 2009  
11:48 PM  
Morgan Family Residence**

As I walk to the front door I open my cell phone and notice a missed call from Rita.

"Unheard Message. Hey sweetie, I'm a dope, was in such a rush to get Harrison organized I forgot my ID for the plane, so I'm zooming home for it, which means we'll be on a later puddle jumper, but we'll still be there waiting for you. Oh, and I know you're not into this stuff, but the moon tonight is going to be amazing. So take a moment, you deserve it. I love you, bye."

I call back but then I realize… it's ringing from the inside of the house. Nobody's picking up. Something doesn't add up. I rush to open the door…

I find Rita in the living room on the couch, all alone in the dark… Her facial expression filled with a mixture of deep sadness and terror, as if she had just seen a monster. Tears are in her eyes, I can tell she has been crying for hours probably.

"Why are you crying, Rita? What's wrong?" I ask. This can't be good. I turn on the light and notice some very familiar objects spread all over the table. She found my kill tools, all the different sizes and shapes on my knives. Perhaps this is something I can explain somehow. Collector's knives from my father Harry. But… oh God, she found the box as well. No, not the blood slide box, she'd probably dismiss that as work-related. I mean the other box. The one containing my multiple credit cards and fake IDs I had always kept in case of emergency. In case I ever needed a quick getaway. What else does she know?

"Dexter," she said angrily "who is Arthur Mitchell?" she asked. I didn't answer.

**_Earlier that day…_**

**_3_****_rd_****_ of December, 2009  
3:12 PM  
Morgan Family Residence_**

_"…I love you, bye." she said as she finished her voice mail to Dexter. Then she heard a knock on the door. She opened. It was a seemingly nice old man to her._

_"Can I help you, mister?" she asked.  
"Hello, my name is Arthur Mitchell. I'm a friend of Dexter Morgan. And you must be Mrs. Debra Morgan correct?" he asked as he smiled in his usual charming way.  
"Oh no, that's Dexter's foster sister, she doesn't live with us. I'm Rita, I'm the wife." she said.  
"Ah yes, Rita, of course, silly old me. He told me a lot about you." he lied._

_Rita… here she was at his mercy. He could kill her right here, right now, teach Dexter a lesson for interfering with his plans. For a second he contemplated it. But she was clearly not part of his cycle, it just wouldn't work out for him. No, he had something far more sinister in mind._

_"I'm sorry, I'm afraid Dexter's not home and we're just about ready to leave on our honeymoon. But, I'll tell him you stopped by." she said.  
"Alright, my apologies for coming at such an inopportune time. But I just wanted to let him know that we at Four Walls One Heart really appreciate his help." he said.  
"Four Walls One Heart, what is that?" she asked puzzled.  
"We're a private charity. We build homes for the homeless all around the US. Dexter has been quite active both as a donor and builder, we are very thankful for that." he said._

_Rita was surprised. Why had he kept all of this from her?_

_"I never knew that…" she said and Trinity had guessed that whatever double life Dexter Morgan lead it was probably a well-kept secret from his spouse._

_At that moment he dropped his fake smile and got serious._

_"That's because there's actually quite a lot you don't know about your husband. He's not the man you think he is. He's the devil in disguise." he said.  
"Okay, what's this really about, Mr. Mitchell?" she demanded to know.  
"I met him a while ago when he came to my church and introduced himself using a fake name. At first, he seemed to be genuinely interested in Four Walls One Heart charity work, but then the problems appeared." he said._

_Rita didn't respond._

_"Mr. Morgan has been harassing me over the past couple of weeks. I've been assaulted in my own home and threatened with a kitchen knife, I've been blackmailed for 50.000$, I've been threatened with being slandered publicly as a pedophile, I've been kidnapped and drugged with some unknown tranquilizer and… I was almost killed. And I would have been killed had Dexter not been taken into custody from that hit-and-run." he said.  
"No… no… You're out of your mind. Dexter is a gentle man and he'd never do anything like that." she said. "Why should I believe any of it?" she demanded to know. She knew Dexter had kept secrets from her… but extortion and attempted murder? Him, the mild mannered middle class lab geek and family man? Impossible._

_Trinity looked to the shed Dexter had built._

_"That shed… I'd bet he uses it as private personal storage and never tells you what's inside. Am I right?" he said as he smiled again. "Take it or leave it. But if I'm right, I think you'll find more than enough answers in that shed."  
"Go away! Now! You are not welcome here!" she raged._

_And so he did. He walked away._

**Back to the present…**

"Tell me who is Arthur Mitchell and what is your true relation to this man." she demanded again.  
"Rita, calm down." I plead.  
"And what about these? Why do you need so many knives? Why do you store extra garbage bags apart from what we already have in the basement? Why do you have fake passports and driver's licenses? What's Four Walls One Heart to you? Who is Patrick Bateman? Who is Stanley Foyer? Who the fuck are you, Dexter Morgan?" she asked.  
"Please, Rita, it's not what you think." I plead again but to no avail.  
"I should have seen this before. Those late nights pretending to be working overtime, the apartment and shed, the way you framed Paul, the way you pretended to be a heroin addict to conceal darker secrets… Lies… It was all lies!" she yelled as she starting crying again. "How could you do this to me?"  
"Rita, please, I know there are some things you don't know about me, but I've always been good to you." I said.  
"And that's what saddens me the most. You know I had a total stranger come to this door saying you attacked, kidnapped, blackmailed and threatened to kill him." she said.

Damn you, Trinity. Before I could get to you, you spilled the beans.

"You're a mobster aren't you? Organized crime?" she asked. "But I'm not going to tolerate another Paul in my life, I'm not going to tolerate lies nor am I going to live in constant fear that your associates might come after me or my kids when I least expect it. We're done! Take everything you have and leave! First thing in the morning, I'll speak to my attorney about a divorce. Just… get out before I call the police!" she said.

I can't speak. I have just passed the point of no return. Though Rita hasn't yet figured out the full picture she knows far more than I want anyone to know. Harry was right. I thought I could change what I am, keep my family safe… But it doesn't matter what I do, what I choose, I'm what's wrong.

This is fate.


	2. No Lie Lives Forever

_"I have a family too, Arthur." I said. Trinity looked surprised. "And I'm good to them."  
Trinity chuckled. "You're like a child." he said.  
"I'm a child with a big knife." I said.  
"You dream of a heaven you'll never see." he responded.  
"I don't believe in heaven."  
"Oh but you do. This isn't your doing." he said as he raised his head. "This is God's plan. I accept that now. You have to do the same." he said.  
"I accept nothing. Nothing is inevitable." I said.  
"It's already over… It's already over."_

_I never understood what that meant… until it was too late._

**7****th**** of December, 2009  
9:12 AM  
Dexter's Apartment**

Four days have passed since I moved back to my apartment.

_"So, what's your next move, Dexter?" asked my subconscious father figure. "You have to tell me. This could be the end of you. The unraveling of Dexter Morgan."  
"I'm still waiting to see how this all plays out." I said.  
"Christ, Dexter, you can't leave this to chance! Rita knows." Harry said.  
"She doesn't know the full story and I cleaned out the house of my belongings when I left. There's nothing that can tie me to any illegal activity. And the only witness is dead." I said.  
"No." Harry said. "There's one more witness."  
"Are you fucking kidding me, dad? I hope you're not implying what I think you're implying." I said.  
"Rule number one. Don't get caught. Rita was your cover. Now she's just a liability. You have no choice." Harry said.  
"I really hate myself right now for contemplating this. I'd rather rot in prison for the rest of my life than harm Rita." I said.  
"That's the most human thing you've said in a long while. Perhaps, I've misjudged you. Maybe there is some humanity in you." he said. "But what about the Mitchells? Have you completely forgotten about them?" he asked.  
"Fuck, how could I forget? But they don't fit the code either and they're in the federal witness protection program so they're way out of my reach. And that's a good thing. All they know is the name 'Kyle Butler' and a real one is dead. As long as I don't make contact ever again, it's unlikely they'll be able to point the finger at me. And they have no reason to show them my photo." I said.  
"Not yet." Harry said._

**Meanwhile…**

**7****th**** of December, 2009  
9:15 AM  
Goldberg Law Offices, Miami**

"Just so we're clear, Mrs. Morgan. You believe that your husband, Mr. Dexter Morgan, is involved in criminal activities, and that's why you're filing for a divorce?" Allan Goldberg asked.  
"Yes, I fear for my safety and the safety of my children." Rita replied.  
"But you will not tell me what this is about." he said.  
"No, I don't want this to go public. I just want to move on quietly." she responded.  
"You know, withholding information could result in a less than favorable settlement as well as criminal charges being brought against you for aiding and abetting. But I am an attorney. I am bound by a policy of strict confidentiality. You can tell me everything you know. Once I have all the information, we can decide on exactly how to proceed further. But I need to know first." he said.  
"I had a stranger come up to my doorstep saying my husband repeatedly attacked him, kidnapped him and tried to kill him. I also found weapons hidden on our property. Big sharp knives that shouldn't be there. I also found a collection of fake IDs." Rita said.  
"And do you have them now?" he asked.  
"No. He took them all when I kicked him out of the house. Probably destroyed them all by now." she replied.  
"That's not good. So we basically have nothing to back up your story. How about the witness?" he asked.  
"He's a senior citizen named Arthur Mitchell, something to do with Four Walls One Heart." she said.

Allan Goldberg paused for a moment.

"Hmmm. That name sounds familiar somehow… I'll look into it regardless, if you know of anything else let me know." he said.  
"Well, I did notice a box of slides. Each one containing what appeared to be a drop of blood. Quite an oddity to keep around the house." she said.  
"That also sound a bit familiar for some reason, but I can't quite remember why. Is your husband a medical practitioner?" Goldberg asked.  
"Forensic analyst." she replied.  
"Hmmm. If he's into organized crime, could he be tampering with evidence? It could be nothing. What's his specialization?" he asked.  
"Blood spatter analysis." she replied.  
"As I suspected. I take it you don't have the slides either any longer?" he asked.  
"No." she replied.  
"Anyway, I'll start filing the divorce papers. If there is anything else you need to share with me, Mrs. Morgan, please don't hesitate to give me a call." he said.

**7****th**** of December, 2009  
10:31 AM  
Homicide, Miami Metro Police Department**

Agent Wilson, one of the men assigned to the Trinity case was in the briefing room along with the entire Homicide staff. Although this was a federal case, he felt the need to inform local law enforcement as well… just in case.

"Alright, here's what me and my colleagues have discovered over the past couple of days. Trinity was last seen on the 3rd of December. He had his car fixed and repainted at a local auto shop and was preparing to skip town. But, something doesn't add up. " Agent Wilson said.  
"Why is that?" asked Angel Batista.  
"Because, Sergeant Batista, we found his car broken and abandoned outside of town. Odd given that it had just been repaired." Wilson responded.

Fuck, I should have ditched the car too.

"Did you check for reports of stolen vehicles? It's what they usually do when they're on the run." said Joey Quinn.  
"We did and surprisingly, no vehicle within a 30 mile radius was reported stolen that night, nor the day after. But with our taskforce? He would have never made it on foot, or at least it's very unlikely." Wilson responded.  
"So he had an accomplice." said Masuka.  
"Perhaps. We do strongly suspect however that his sudden disappearance is linked to a man named Kyle Butler, most likely an alias."

Wilson then showed us a sketch that strongly resembled me. No heads turned however, most people would dismiss it as a coincidence, common looking face and all that. Who could ever suspect meek mild lab geek Dexter as in any way connected to such a monster?

"This is a sketch of him." he said. "We find this man, we find Trinity."  
"Didn't Trinity kill Kyle Butler?" asked Batista.  
"There's no evidence to suggest that this is the same Kyle Butler. All three family members were interviewed separately. They were shown photos. None were able to identify him as our man and the sketch doesn't match either. No, even if Trinity killed him, we're still looking for a different Kyle Butler." Wilson said.  
"That's just it. What if this is a case of mistaken identity? Kyle Butler, as you say, was an alias this man used to get close to the Mitchell family. They had a falling out and Trinity went after the wrong Kyle Butler. It's no coincidence that he's the first person in the phone book along with two other Kyle Butlers." Deputy Chief Matthews said.  
"Very good, Deputy Chief. We've considered that possibility as well, especially in light of an incident that occurred during Thanksgiving. Arthur attacked his son Jonah and Kyle Butler defended him. However, we also know, based on the Mitchells' testimonies, that Kyle Butler was at the Mitchells' house at the time we raided it. He was asking for Arthur's whereabouts. He fled outside before our SWAT team could secure the property so we missed our shot." Wilson said.  
"None of this makes any sense." noted Batista. "We are clearly missing a vital piece of information here." he said.  
"Have you considered blackmail?" asked Masuka. "How about, wait for it… bounty hunter?" he asked.

Damn you Masuka, you're getting too close to the truth. Stop. Talking.

"Possibly. But vigilantes are quite rare in the US. Don't you think he would have turned in Mitchell by now if he wanted to be a national hero and get a sizable reward?" asked Wilson.  
"Yeah, and we worked next to one for 10 years. He never turned anybody in. They check out, they never check in. Hehehehe." Masuka said.

Damn you, Masuka. Damn you. Why can't you just let the FBI handle its own problems.

"Thank you for… sharing that. If anyone has any concrete evidence as to the whereabouts of either Kyle Butler or Arthur Mitchell, you know where to find me." Wilson said as he walked out of the room.

A few hours later, Agent Wilson called me into his office.

"Dexter Morgan." he said.  
"Sir?" I ask.  
"You were awfully quiet in the briefing room. And that is very unlike you from what I gather. You're not a profiler, but you always have a hunch when it comes to killers." he said.  
"To tell you the truth this case has me really stumped." I said.  
"Interesting, well there are a few things I want to discuss with you. First, the sketch. It's awfully similar to you isn't it? It was made not by our professionals, but by Arthur's young daughter. She's pretty good at this. She recognizes all the main facial features. And so do I. And all those subtle features… match yours. Explain that to me." he said. This was no discussion, this was an interrogation so I tried to throw him off.  
"Coincidence. I dunno…" I said.  
"So you won't mind if I show the Mitchells a recent photo of you. After all, if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear." Wilson said.

The words of a totalitarian nightmare. I feign outrage.

"How can you say all these things? I'm not Kyle Butler." I say.  
"Listen, we know you've been acting a bit suspicious lately. Your car was parked in the vicinity of the Mitchells' house before our SWAT teams even arrived there. And your neighbor Elliot positively ID'd Arthur Mitchell and his car after the initial press conference. He was seen in your neighborhood the day he disappeared. So how about you start telling me what the hell is going on? Don't make me embarrass you in front of the entire department. You're connected to all of this and you're withholding vital information that could lead to the capture of America's worst serial killer." he said.  
"I don't know what you're talking about." I said. He was a fairly young agent in the FBI. Smart, but without much experience. You don't make these kinds of accusations without more solid evidence.  
"We'll see… about that." he said with a frown.

**7****th**** of December, 2009  
8:03 PM  
Morgan Family Residence**

Rita was at home. Outside a thunder storm was brewing. She still couldn't get over it. Dexter, the man she knew or thought she knew had kept so many secrets from her, lied to her. "But he was always so nice, it's hard to believe he's capable of all of this…" she thought.

She turned on the news to a shocking story. Next to the reporter was the picture of a very familiar old man. She turned the volume up.

_"Police and federal law enforcement are on a large-scale nationwide manhunt for Arthur Mitchell, the prime suspect in the Trinity serial killer case who seems to have disappeared off the face of Earth. Earlier this week, SWAT teams raided the Mitchell family home but did not find him there. His family was shocked to learn of the accusations and was taken into protective custody. Trinity is suspected of over 300 brutal murders across the country over a period of 30 years, the longest spree of unsolved killings in American history. Federal agencies are questioning all known associates of Arthur Mitchell in an attempt to uncover his whereabouts and Interpol has been notified as all airports are on high alert. One known associate is Kyle Butler…"_

At that moment a sketch that bore a strong resemblance to Dexter was shown on screen. Rita immediately recognized Kyle Butler as being Dexter.

_"…who they have not yet been able to locate or properly identify and who may hold information about Arthur Mitchell's current whereabouts. We do know however that in a seemingly unrelated story, another man named Kyle Butler was murdered near his own home. The FBI has denied any connection. Arthur Mitchell is to be considered armed and extremely dangerous, citizens are asked to notify the police at once if they encounter him."_

She was shocked… Why would Dexter get himself involved with a serial killer? Could he truly be so evil as to withhold vital information that could lead to the capture of a mass murderer? An hour later the broadcast was interrupted for another update on the Trinity story.

_"Dan, the FBI has just revealed more information on the Trinity manhunt. His vehicle was found on the outskirts of town abandoned and broken on the night he disappeared. Not much else is known except that Homeland Security has placed all airports, railroads and docks on high alert for any suspicious departures. All available units have been mobilized, yet Trinity continues to evade law enforcement."_

Could Dexter have killed Arthur Mitchell as he was trying to flee town? Rita went to search his shed again maybe this time she could find something. Something he left behind. But she didn't have to go that far. There it was in the living room, on the floor, near a satchel that Dexter had forgotten the night he left.

A broken blood slide. Inside the satchel there were some duct tapes, a syringe and some doses of M-99. In a hurry Dexter had left this important piece of evidence behind. She examined it more closely… Earlier she had dismissed the slides as in any way relevant, but now she could see this wasn't work-related at all. Couldn't be. This all looked familiar though. Then she remembered. Sergeant Doakes… But Rita had to be sure. She turned on the computer and went online looking over news articles from around the time of the Bay Harbor Butcher investigation that had shocked America. At least two news articles from separate news outlets discussed in great details the MO of the Butcher including the trophies kept. Blood slides. She was horrified further and almost collapsed from a panic attack.

Around the same time, she got a phone call from her attorney Allan Goldberg.

"Yes?" Rita answers. She was shaking, stuttering and could barely hold her phone at all.  
"Mrs. Morgan, listen to me. You are in grave danger. You need to leave the house at once and go to safe spot. I found out what…" he said. Rita interrupted him.  
"You found out who Arthur Mitchell is, yes I saw it on the news. You found out what those blood slides mean!" she said.  
"Yes. How did you… Never mind, come see my right away. If this man framed and murdered a police officer to cover his tracks there's no telling what he'll do to you." he said.  
"Oh God! How could I have been so stupid to trust this man! He lied about everything! Everything!" she broke in tears.  
"Listen, calm down, Mrs. Morgan. It will be alright. I need you to focus now. Come see me right away and we'll see about getting you some kind of protective detail." he responded.  
"Okay… okay…" she said as she took all the money she could find and fled outside with young Harrison in the rain... Astor and Cody were still in Disneyland with their grandparents so they would be alright for now she thought…


	3. Goodbye, Miami

I was outside, waiting for Rita. The ghost of Harry, AKA my subconscious, wouldn't stop haunting me.

_"Dexter, what are you doing here? Forget Rita. It's time to run and you're wasting precious time." Harry said.  
"I need to say goodbye first, dad!"_

She spotted me. "No, stay away from me!" she demanded.  
"Rita, please. Give me a moment to explain myself." I said. I take a few steps forward.  
"I know everything about you. You're the Bay Harbor Butcher! Everything fits, your strange behavior, your tools, the slides found in Sergeant Doakes' car…" she said.  
"Rita, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I was never truly honest about what I am. It's true everything you said. I am a killer. A sociopath. But I'm not here to hurt you. In my own strange twisted way I really do love you. And if you truly believe that turning me in will make this world a better place then… do what you gotta do." I said.  
"Love? How can you love me and do… this? Cut people up into little pieces and throw them in the ocean?" she asked in disbelief. "Disgusting is the only word I have for it!"  
"I can't help it… I can only channel it. I realized from a very early age I had these dark urges after witnessing my mother's tragic death and that I wouldn't be able to control it indefinitely. So I came up with a code of honor. I would only kill people who deserved it. And believe me, Arthur Mitchell deserved it the most. He was a monster." I said as I wasn't about to tar Harry Morgan's reputation by mentioning that it was he who came up with the Code all along and trained me to be what I am. "Have you forgotten that the Butcher only kills other murderers?" I ask.  
"There is a justice system for that, Dexter. You could have turned this man in. You don't have a right to play judge, jury and executioner! And you don't have a right to play God!" she replied.  
"It's the only way I know how to survive, Rita." I said.  
"You killed an innocent man. Doakes. Framed him as a serial killer. Ruined his reputation! Most of his own family disowned him, almost nobody attended his funeral! He was on to you wasn't he?" she asked.  
"I didn't kill him, but let's just say yes, I was indirectly responsible for his death. I held him prisoner and was planning to frame him. Lila found him and killed him because she was obsessed with me. How many more would be dead without me I ask you?"  
"You led a dangerous mass murderer to my doorstep! I could be dead by now." she protested. "What really hurts me the most is that you really were good to us. A good husband. A good father. Was it really worth throwing all that away?" she asked.

The thunder storm became more intense.

"Rita, I'm sorry. I really am sorry for everything. But it's not too late. I've got you a new passport. The FBI is closing in on me, but we can still make this work. Take Harrison. Call your grandparents. Take Astor and Cody. We can start a new life somewhere they'll never find us. Maybe Argentina or Eastern Europe?" I ask.  
"Dexter, are you out of you mind? I don't want to live like a fugitive, that's not me at all. And what about your urge to kill?" she asked.  
"Rita, if there's one thing I learned from the Trinity case is that I don't have to kill. I'm prepared to try being a lawful family man." I said, not really believing half of it at this point.  
"Bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit! You'll still be you and you'll hang around the wrong crowd. I don't want to live in constant danger. You always said that serial killers have a compulsion. They do it until they are caught or killed. It can't be undone." she said.

She was right. I should never have asked.

"I guess this is it then…" I said, I hadn't really felt this bad since my brother Brian died.  
"Guess so…" she said. "But the only moral thing to do, is to turn you in."  
"It's okay. Soon I'll be out of everyone's reach." What is it that Trinity would say? "I accept that now, you have to do the same, Rita. Thank you for a wonderful life… I wasn't even human before I met you. But you've shown me there is more to life besides blood. Farewell."

With that I left Rita standing with Harrison on the front porch, crying. Thinking of what might have been, could have been… But she was right. My reckless actions could have gotten her killed. The only person left to keep my family safe from… is myself. If I truly love them I have to let them go.

**7****th**** of December, 2009  
10:21 PM  
Dexter's Apartment**

I stopped by my apartment, to say goodbye to Deb.

"Dex? Seriously, tell me what's going on. You cancel your trip then you come here for days. You don't even talk to me anymore? Are you and Rita having a fight?" she asks.  
"It's… complicated, Deb and I really don't like to talk about it." I reply. "I just wanted to say you mean a lot to me, you're a good sister to me… I don't know where I'd be right now without you, Harry and Doris. Thank you, for giving me my life back."  
"Dex, what the fuck, are you on crack? Tell me what's going on!" she demanded.  
"I have to go. It will all be made much clearer during the next couple of days." I said as I rushed out the door.

And I was gone…

**7****th**** of December, 2009  
11:56 PM  
Miami International Airport**

I made my way to the airport in a rental car, under a new name. A new passport that Rita had never seen. Goodbye, Dexter Morgan. Hello, Daniel Lamber. I dumped my own car near the railroad station to throw them off, at least for a while. Turning on the radio revealed one crucially important fact.

_"The Department of Homeland Security has placed all airports, railroads and docks on high alert for any suspicious departures. All available units and agencies have been mobilized in a coordinated effort to prevent the Trinity killer's escape. Trinity has left of legacy of over three h…"_

And they were correct. Security had never been this tight. I was afraid I'd never make it past the checkpoints if they were going to be extra critical of all documentation and perform extensive searches. And so I was going to give them a far bigger fish to fry than Trinity. Homeland Security, it's time to embrace the purpose for which you were truly created.

"Hello. 911, what is your emergency?" asked the dispatcher.  
"Listen to me very carefully," I say having changed the tone of my voice to something completely unrecognizable and most importantly irreversible. "I've planted a bomb beneath the Dolphin Mall, here in Miami. It detonates within the hour."  
"Okay… I need you to hold one moment, sir." she said.  
"No, you think I'm that stupid? You'll never triangulate my location. Bear witness to the fall of your consumerist, greed-filled society. This is only the beginning. Expect more." I said as I hung up with plenty of time to spare.

They'd never trace it back to me. A disposable cell phone. I broke the phone and threw it into a trash bin. Within minutes, most of the additional units began pulling away from the airport. That's when I made my move.

**Minutes later…**

"A one way ticket to Kiev, Ukraine, correct?"  
"Yes, that is correct." I reply. She stamps the ticket and tells me.  
"Have a nice flight, Mr. Lamber."  
"Thank you." I said as I smiled for the last time.

I then boarded the plane. With the extra security temporarily gone I didn't have any trouble. Nobody even thought for a minute that my passport wasn't genuine. I'd go to Kiev but that wouldn't be my last stop. Exploiting my knowledge of a local criminal enterprise, the Koshka Brotherhood, I'd obtain another passport and I'd also have more time to change my appearance. From then on, I'd head south by land vehicle into Romania, to Bucharest.

Goodbye, Miami.

**8****th**** of December, 2009  
9:37 AM  
Dexter's Apartment**

Debra has overslept. A loud noise woke her up. The door had been smashed with a battering ram. Out of reflex, Debra went straight for her gun.

"Hands in the air! Drop your weapon!" shouted a SWAT unit. Deb complied as soon as she recognized the intruders as law enforcement.  
"All clear, sir, one female occupant in the building. Non-hostile. The suspect is not here." another unit said.  
"Jesus Fucking Christ, what the fuck is going on here?" Debra demanded to know.  
"Stand down, officers." said a familiar voice. It was Agent Wilson.  
"Agent Wilson?" she asked.  
"I know this might come as a shock to you detective Morgan, but we have a search warrant for this property and an arrest warrant for your brother, Dexter Morgan." Agent Wilson said.

And Debra was indeed shocked. Speechless in fact.

"We have found evidence implicating him as the true Bay Harbor Butcher. He is also the elusive Kyle Butler as confirmed by the Mitchells. We believe he may have abducted and murdered Trinity as well." Agent Wilson continued.

But Debra remained speechless.

This had to be nothing but a bad dream…


	4. Winter Is Coming

[To be continued...]


End file.
